Card ejector having a slider and a spring engaging a stopper on a metallic shell

Abstract

An electrical card connector ( 100 ) includes an insulative housing ( 1 ), a number of contacts ( 2 ) assembled in the insulative housing, an ejector ( 4 ) assembled at a side of the insulative housing, and a metallic shell ( 3 ) comprising a stopper portion ( 313 ). The ejector includes a slider ( 41 ) moveable along a mating direction and an ejection direction opposite to the mating direction, a spring member ( 43 ) for urging the slider to move along the ejection direction, and a pin member ( 42 ) having one end ( 421 ) secured on the insulative housing and the other one end ( 422 ) moveably guided by the slider. The stopper portion ( 313 ) stops the spring member ( 43 ) from urging the slider ( 41 ) during movement of the slider along the ejection direction.

1. An electrical card connector comprising:
 an insulative housing; 
 a plurality of contacts assembled in the insulative housing; 
 an ejector assembled at a side of the insulative housing, the ejector comprising a slider moveable along a mating direction and an ejection direction opposite to the mating direction, a spring member for urging the slider to move along the ejection direction, and a pin member having one end secured on the insulative housing and the other one end moveably guided by the slider; and 
 a metallic shell comprising a stopper portion stopping the spring member for not pushing the slider during movement of the slider along the ejection direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metallic shell forms a cantilevered beam interfering with an upper face of the slider and slowing down the slider. 
     
     
       3. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metallic shell forms a cantilevered beam interfering with a lateral face of the slider. 
     
     
       4. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the insulative housing defines a recessed portion for receiving the spring member and a block wall is formed at a front of the recessed portion. 
     
     
       5. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the stopper portion is located above the block wall and both the stopper portion and the block wall contribute to stoppage of the spring member. 
     
     
       6. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the stopper portion interferes with an upper side of the spring member and the block wall interferes with a lower side of the spring member. 
     
     
       7. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the slider forms a lock portion gradually moving towards a card receiving space during movement of the slider along the mating direction. 
     
     
       8. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the insulative housing defines a slot guiding the slider, and the slot has a larger width at an outer position where a card is fully ejected and a shorter width at an inner position where the card is fully inserted and finally terminates. 
     
     
       9. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a switch unit assembling at a rear of the insulative housing with respect to the contacts. 
     
     
       10. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the insulative housing comprises a second retaining portion with a cutout, and the switch unit comprises a moveable contact deflectable above the second retaining portion and a pair of immoveable contacts received and exposed in the cutout. 
     
     
       11. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the immoveable contacts have a pair of contacting pads front-and-rear arranged in the cutout and spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
       12. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said switch unit experiences an “ON-OFF-ON-OFF” switch cycle when a card is moved between an outer position at which a card is fully ejected and an inner position at which the card is fully inserted and finally terminates at the inner position. 
     
     
       13. An electrical card connector comprising:
 an insulative housing defining a contact area and an ejector area beside the contact area in a transverse direction; 
 a metallic shell assembled to the housing and cooperating with the housing to define a card receiving cavity on both the contact area and the ejection mechanism area, at least one of the housing and the shell defines a stopper face; 
 a plurality of contacts disposed in the contact area with contacting sections extending into the card receiving cavity; 
 an ejector disposed in the ejector area and comprising a slider movable back and forth essentially between opposite outer and inner positions along a front-to-back direction perpendicular to the transverse direction, said slider defining a locking lug extending into the card receiving cavity in the transverse direction for engagement with an electronic card which is adapted to be received in the card receiving cavity; and 
 a spring having one end essentially constantly biasing the slider toward the outer position until said spring is located at a position corresponding to the outer position where said stopper face abuts against said one end of the spring in the front-to-back direction to prevent the spring from further forward moving. 
 
     
     
       14. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the shell defines a spring beam abutting against the ejector toward the housing, in a vertical direction perpendicular to both said transverse direction and said front-to-back direction, for assuring the ejector is retained to the housing. 
     
     
       15. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the ejector further defines a heart-shaped groove structure receiving one end of a pin member whose another end is retained to the housing. 
     
     
       16. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the shell defines a spring beam constant urging the pin member toward the heart-shaped groove structure in the vertical direction perpendicular to both said transverse direction and said front-to-back direction. 
     
     
       17. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein both said shell and said housing form the corresponding stopper faces. 
     
     
       18. An electrical card connector comprising:
 an insulative housing defining a contact area and an ejector area beside the contact area in a transverse direction; 
 a metallic shell assembled to the housing and cooperating with the housing to define a card receiving cavity on both the contact area and the ejection mechanism area; 
 a plurality of contacts disposed in the contact area with contacting sections extending into the card receiving cavity; 
 an ejector disposed in the ejector area and comprising a slider movable back and forth essentially between opposite outer and inner positions along a front-to-back direction perpendicular to the transverse direction, said slider defining a locking lug extending into the card receiving cavity in the transverse direction for engagement with an electronic card which is adapted to be received in the card receiving cavity; and 
 a spring having one end applying an outward force upon a face of the slider toward the outer position when the slider is located at the inner position while said one end is parted from said face when said slider is moved to the outer position thus applying no outward force upon said face so as to facilitate tilting the slider for withdrawal of the electronic card. 
 
     
     
       19. The electrical card connector as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein both said shell and said housing form the corresponding stopper faces.